One of the most important things you can do to ensure success in your small business is to continue to build trust with your customers, clients, and audience. Email marketing can and should be a key tool in developing that.

When you build trust, your customers think of you first.

How are you taking steps in your online strategy to make this happen?

Among other things, I bet you are...

Producing a product/service you believe in. Check!

Offering top notch customer service. Check!

Posting to social media. Check!

Engaging on social media. Check!

Now, are you also...

Creating a consistent email marketing strategy? Hmmm.

Do you have an email marketing strategy that you’re sending out consistently? Why not?

Did you know having an email marketing strategy for your small business is one of the best ways to build relationships, trust, and authority with your most fervent supporters? And it's one of the best ways to make sales online?

Yes! It absolutely is!

I see many businesses focus far too much on social media, and completely skip one of the most integral pieces of their online marketing: email.

At one point this was OK, and it worked.

If you got in early enough, you could build a business on social media. There was a sweet spot in there from maybe 2008-2012, but that’s no longer the case.

Weep all you want about the good old days, but they are long gone my friends!

Social media is louder and more crowded than ever.

If you are focusing only on social media, and have no email marketing plan in place - you are doing your business a disservice and you could quite literally be leaving money on the table.

Whenever I mention email marketing to small business owners, the first question I get is:

“But I use social media. Why do I need to use email marketing?”

(Are you asking the same question right now? Because that’s valid!)

Many people think email marketing is a thing of the past and/or that it’s not right for their business.

No. And no.

OK, please get ready, because discussing why every business needs an email marketing plan is one of my favorite things to completely nerd out on.

No joke.

And to be completely honest, much of my excitement is because I don't want you to do what I did for years. I neglected using my newsletter as an avenue to really build trust and sell what I do. (I'll tell you more about that some other time.)

Let’s quickly discuss just some of my favorite reasons, data, and facts as to why you need an email marketing strategy in your business right now. Or if you already have one, why you need to blow those cobwebs off it and begin again today:

Social Media Isn’t Going to Sell Your Products or Services. Email Marketing and Social Media Work Better Together.

Despite what many social media strategists will tell you, you’re rarely going to sell your products or services on social media (see my point below about email being transactional).

If you’re making sales on social media, it’s because you’ve established that trust with your audience. And kudos to you!

However, that’s not many business’ experience, and it most definitely will not be in the future.

Social media today is where your business builds and establishes itself (brand reach) by gathering followers and turning those followers into your audience. The next step is to drive those people back to your website to capture them as potential leads on your email list.

It’s there that you establish your authority and continue that relationship - turning these followers into your most ardent fans (buyers).

It’s here that you make sales.

Social media establishes your business. Email drives sales.

No Email List? You’re Missing a Valuable Marketing Channel that You Own.

Every business should have a social media strategy. It’s important to build that presence. But please know, that it's rented space. You do not own any of those followers or that platform.

If a platform turns into a political rage fest - hello Twitter - and people start to spend time elsewhere? Say goodbye to those followers and their eyeballs.

You own your email list, and that is one of the biggest reasons why it’s so valuable.

This means you can move to any different email service provider. Change up how often you send it. Decide what content you’ll send. And side bar? You can only put so much content and only one link into an Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter post, with a newsletter you can pack a lot of info and products into one email!

Social media platforms grow and change and with that come algorithms that make it harder for your content to organically reach its ideal viewers, 👋🏼 Instagram!

Email is the Best Way to Connect with Your Ideal Customer in a Very Crowded Landscape.

Email is direct. It’s personal.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning? Check your email.

Studies have shown that 58% of adults check their email first thing in the morning.

[Tweet "Email reaches up to 90% of its intended audience, compare to 1-4% for Facebook!"]

Email marketing is a direct line to your audience. It’s on their terms, and exactly when they want it. Your readers can open your email whenever they want, and that says a lot. That's an incredible opportunity to grab hold of and nurture that relationship!

Email reaches up to 90% of its intended audience, compare that to between 1-4% with your Facebook Business Page!

Organic reach is way, way down on social media - and it's only going to get worse.

It’s doubtful that your ideal customer is going to see one of your social media posts first thing in the morning. But your email will be right there waiting for them.

Email Marketing Allows You to Build Consistency Which in Turn Builds Trust Over Time.

Since your email is getting to its intended audience, and they’re able to read it when they want - this is an ideal opportunity to build your relationship with your readers. Your most fervent admirers are on your email list. They want to hear from you.

Email is an incredible opportunity for you to continue to build and nurture that relationship for years to come.

Email Marketing Will Drive Sales and Increase Your Income.

Social media is not transactional. Email is.

And people GET THIS.

People know when they sign up for an email list that they’re going to get emails about products and services. They’re signing up because they want to hear more about what you offer.

Consumers are more apt to buy through email than any other medium.

Your newsletter strategy can and will drive sales for your business. What about that sounds like it’s not for you?

Want to Hear More? Let's Discuss Further!

Honestly, I could go on and on about why you need an email marketing strategy.

Email marketing can open up a whole new world for your business. It builds relationships. Creates authority. Drives sales. What’s not to love?

Once you see what it can do for your business, you will wonder what took you so long. I can almost guarantee this feeling!

Want to discuss this more? You know I do!

Come chat with me on Friday, September 22nd at 2pm EDT on Facebook Live on my Facebook Page!

Check out the video below where I discuss the above topics deeper. And I also answer questions from viewers about how to be consistent with sending, typical open rates, how to build your list on social and more!

Have a question for me about building your own email strategy? Ask me below!